Excited to be visiting Pakistan for World XI series: Amla

CAPE TOWN: While cricket fans in Pakistan eagerly await arrival of World XI players in Lahore next month, members of the star-studded squad are just as excited to play in front of a packed crowd at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Legendary batsman, Hashim Amla, is one of them, and he cannot wait to come to Pakistan for the series, which will see high-profile international cricket grace Pakistan’s pitches once again, after a hiatus of eight years.

“I am looking forward to it very much. Pakistan is a great country with great cricketing heritage. To kind of assist in bringing international cricket back to Pakistan, I am very proud to be a part of it,” Amla told Geo.tv in an exclusive interview on Saturday.

“I hope everything goes well and smoothly. All the five players from South Africa are looking forward to it. Last time I went to Pakistan 10 years ago, I had a great time, the games were well attended and the people there have great passion for the game, that’s something I am looking forward to,” he added.

The master batsman from Durban also spoke about the T20 Global League and Durban Qalandars team, of which he is a part as a South African marquee player.

“The interaction held with Qalandars for the last couple of weeks has been really, really mind-blowing, they have a great vision,” said Amla about the owners of Durban Qalandars, who also own PSL team Lahore Qalandars.